All posts by BenIndy

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, BISHO, EngageBenicia.com

Benicia City Council to hear Industrial Safety presentation tomorrow, Tues. 16, at 6pm (& why you should pay attention)

Be there tomorrow at 6pm (or write in before 2pm) to call for better industrial safety and health rules for Benicia

From Terry Mollica, Chair of Benicia’s Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (BISHO) Working Group, July 14, 2024

I’m writing to alert supporters that Benicia City Council will have a “status report” presentation on July 16, 2024, after 6:00 p.m., about the preparation of an Industrial Safety Ordinance (“ISO”).
Among other things, the City is expected to present to the public for the first time the draft ISO for public comment.  If you are able, please tune in to the City Council meeting to get more information.  You can access the agenda and see how to attend the meeting using this link. [BenIndy: Scroll down for a quick how-to-participate guide.]
The expectation is that after Tuesday’s hearing, the City Council will have two subsequent meetings where the draft ISO is “read,” meaning that public comment will be accepted.  At the second reading, the expectation is that the ISO will receive a final vote and be adopted by the City Council.
We had hoped to be further along in the process by now, but do expect that the ISO will be adopted in August or September, 2024.
Please continue to monitor City Council actions toward adoption of the ISO.  The presentation on Tuesday may address the timetable for adoption.  A showing of public support for the ISO may prove to be critical in getting it passed.
We are very excited to be making progress toward the adoption of the ISO.  Thank you all for your continued support, particularly, the members of the Working Group who have worked so hard and diligently to get us to this point!

To learn more about the project and the public engagement process, visit the City’s public engagement website, www.EngageBenicia.com.

The following is from the July 16 Agenda Packet

Attending the Meeting In Person:

Accessing The Meeting
How to Participate in the Meeting:
1) Attend in person at Council Chambers
2) Cable T.V. Broadcast – Check with your cable provider for your local government broadcast channel.
3) Livestream online at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.
4) Zoom Meeting (link below)

The public may view and participate (via computer or phone) link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88508047557?pwd=cHRsZlBrYlphU3pkODcycytmcFR2UT09

  • If prompted for a password, enter 449303.
  • Use participant option to “raise hand” during the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on. Please note, your electronic device must have microphone capability. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak.

Dial in with phone:
Before the start of the item you wish to comment on, call any of the numbers

• Enter the meeting ID number: 885 0804 7557 *please note this is an updated ID number* item you wish to speak on. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak.

  • Enter password: 449303
  • When prompted for a Participant ID, press #.
  • Press *9 on your phone to “raise your hand” when the Mayor calls for public comment during the item you wish to speak on. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak. [BenIndy: The time limit may be 3 minutes now.]

Writing In:

How to Submit Public Comments for this City Council meeting:
Besides appearing in person and offering public comments, members of the public may provide public comment via Zoom, or to the City Clerk by email at lwolfe@ci.benicia.ca.us. Any comment submitted to the City Clerk should indicate to which item of the agenda the comment relates. [BenIndy: This is item 16A.]

Specific information follows:

– Comments received by 2:00 pm on the day of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council and posted on the City’s website.

– Comments received after 2:00 pm, but before the start time of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council but will not be posted on the City’s website.

2024 General Election, A Promised Land, Donald Trump, Gun violence, Stephen Golub

Stephen Golub: A Dark Day

[Note from BenIndy: This post was first published on Stephen Golub’s blog, A Promised Land: America as a Developing Country. There, Steve blogs about domestic and international politics and policy, including lessons that the United States can learn from other nations. If interested, you may sign up for future posts by subscribing to the blog.]

Benicia resident and author Stephen Golub, A Promised Land

By Stephen Golub, July 15, 2024

The Trump assassination attempt and its possible aftermath are so horrific on so many levels. For what it’s worth, here are two excerpts from my interview with the Indian TV station WION (World Is One News) a few hours after the attack. As you might imagine, they capture just a slice of my views on the matter. The American woman who’s also contributing is WION’s U.S. correspondent – with whom, you might note, I disagree on a couple of points.

In one of the clips, I refer to a Washington Post article that ironically appeared earlier in the day, on Trump-supporting, violence-advocating Christian nationalists. In its own way, it’s just as frightening as the shooting.

The days just seem to be getting darker lately. But let’s not give up on our creating light down the road.

MORE POSTS FROM STEPHEN GOLUB’S BLOG, A PROMISED LAND:

California Forever Inc., Flannery Associates, Solano County Board of Supervisors, Solano County CA, Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Solano Together, Travis Air Force Base

How Will Solano’s Rules for Developing Near Travis AFB Impact CA Forever?

[Note from BenIndy: The Daily Republic reported this morning that the minor updates to the Travis Air Force Base’s Land Use Compatibility Plan, which will be on the agenda at Thursday’s commission meeting, may not impact the CA Forever development. That said, this conversation has brought to our attention how land use around TAFB is regulated, which in turn raised some serious questions about how much of the proposed new community will be in built in restricted zones where schools, hospitals, nursing homes, care centers, and more are prohibited. Read more below.]

Commission to review land-use plan changes for Travis, Rio Vista

Daily Republic, by Todd R. Hansen, July 9, 2024

FAIRFIELD — The Solano Airport Land Use Commission on Thursday will review proposed mapping changes to the Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan that opponents of the East Solano Plan had hoped could impact the development.

But that does not appear to be the case.

“We don’t know for sure if there are any impacts on the East Solano Plan since all we have is what is in their initiative and these proposed amendments did not study the East Solano Plan. The analysis of the ad hoc committee was focused on current FAA guidance and updates received from TAFB on their Assault Landing Training Overlay Zone and Rio Vista Airport,” James Besek, director of the county Department of Resource Management said in an email response to the Daily Republic.

The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chamber on the first floor of the administration building, 675 Texas St., in Fairfield.

“For Thursday’s meeting, staff is providing a presentation of the proposed amendments developed by the (Airport Land Use Commission) ad hoc committee for both the Travis Air Force Base and Rio Vista (metropolitan Airport) land use and compatibility plans to ensure that they reflect the most current information related to operations at TAFB and Rio Vista airport and FAA guidance. The amendments are only a proposal by the ad hoc committee and nothing will change in this meeting,” Besek stated.

He added, “There is no recommendation to change or expand the boundaries of any Travis land-use zone, including Zone C, in this report or in the recommendations of the ad hoc committee.”

Members of Solano Together, opponents of the East Solano Plan, thought the new map showed Zone C expanding into the development area with its lower housing density allowances.

“The proposed amendments to the (Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan) include the addition of the Low Altitude Maneuvering Zone; guidance regarding wildlife hazards; clarification regarding the inclusion of second or accessory dwelling units when calculating residential densities; and other minor amendments,” the commission document states.

The compatibility plan changes were put together by a committee of three commissioners – Vice Chairman Stephen Vancil, Don Ryan and Jeanine McAnaney, all former Air Force pilots who were stationed at Travis Air Force Base. McAnaney is still a commercial airline pilot.

The compatibility plan is designed to protect Travis missions, and changes to that plan occur when the needs of mission specifics or training change.

This is an information meeting with the proposed amendments going to the full commission for the first time. No action is anticipated.

Questions and Comments from BenIndy:

As the Daily Republic reports above, the updates proposed in the draft TAFB land-use compatibility plan, do not place any additional restrictions on CA Forever’s proposed development.

However,  the adopted LUCP map from 2015 (Fig. 1, page 13) and the 2024 draft map (Fig. 1, page 8) may show significant pre-existing and continuing restrictions on part of the land California Forever intends to develop for its new city.

Specifically – albeit speculatively, as disclaimed below – an earnest attempt at overlaying the LUCP map and a map of Flannery Associates’ current holdings, with a dashed outline of the projected new community’s boundaries, may be showing us that about half of the new community could be in an area designated  by the 2015 and 2024 LUCP maps as Zone C.

Zone C is shown to have have more frequent and foreseeable air traffic.

Schools, nursing homes, day care centers, libraries, and hospitals are prohibited in Zone C.

Additionally, it stands to reason that if schools and nursing homes are prohibited in Zone C, presumably due to noise and air pollution, perhaps parks and similar services for children and residents over 55 shouldn’t be built in Zone C either.

So, will schools and hospitals, and perhaps parks as well, only be built in the eastern half of CA Forever’s planned community?

If so, what are the implications for equitable access, emergency support and services, and more?

Will wealthier residents pay more to live closer to essential services and nonessential amenities in this walkable city?

OK, now let’s talk about this messy map.

The graphic below is a gif that shows two publicly available maps overlaid: the big map with the purple in the middle is the draft 2024 LUCP map (which is substantively the same as the 2014 adopted map; see links above if you’d like to check). The small map was produced by Solano County to show Flannery’s current holdings, with purchased parcels shown as yellow squares.

The dashed-line shape in the center of the yellow-squared parcel map shows the location of California Forever’s projected new city.

Now let’s adjust the transparency to see if we can get a sense of the overlap.

Disclaimer: This gif was cobbled together using publicly available maps and data available in the 2024 and 2015 LUCPs, and maps of the Flannery holdings developed by Solano County. Please be aware the nice folks at BenIndy are amateurs when it comes to graphical design. We used Canva to overlay the maps, doing our best to align key landmarks, and adjusted the transparency of one map to give an impression of the impacted areas. This image is for exploratory and speculative purposes only, is possibly inaccurate, and should not be shared without also sharing this disclaimer. via GIPHY.

It sure looks like the western half the city will be in Zone C, doesn’t it? And if Zone C can’t have schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc., etc. … we have questions.

To be very candid, though, the above and below represent speculations. And let’s be honest: if these speculations about inequitable access are actually realized, CA Forever’s community will not be substantively worse than any other city already out there (in this regard, anyway). It would be unfair to claim otherwise.

However, it’s important to consider the above when voters are being served the glossy marketing CA Forever has made in support of its East Solano Plan. Most especially, any claims regarding high-density neighborhoods and equitable access to essential resources should be viewed with all of this in mind.

All this shared, please pay attention to the many disclaimers and caveats listed in this meandering, exploratory, and speculative commentary. This post contains questions and comments, not reportable facts. These maps may be inaccurate. Until a sanctioned map overlay is produced by the county, the map BenIndy created is purely speculative, and must not be reproduced or shared without also sharing that fact.

If we are provided with a sanctioned map, or information that contradicts the above, we will of course share it. You can write us at benindy @ mngl.ca. Just, please be nice about it. We know this is a heated discussion, but we did our best to disclaim and disclose all the various ifs-ums-and-maybes.

The Commission meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7pm., in the Solano County Administration Center, Board Chambers, First Floor, 675 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533. The Thursday, July 11 meeting appears to be open to the public, with an open public comment period.

If you have questions about how the East Solano Plan will impact TAFB, or how the LUCP as drafted will impact California Forever’s ambitions for the area, consider attending this meeting to learn more.
As the commissioners stated, no action will be taken at this meeting. But they may be able to answer questions if you have them.
MORE . . .

>> Get involved… Solano Together is another local organization opposing California Forever. Between now and November, you can get a yard sign from Solano Together and send Solano Together a much needed donation.

>> Read more… BenIndy coverage of the billionaire land grab, California Forever / East Solano Plan.

Benicia Mayor, Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Local elections

Mayor Steve Young Announces for Re-Election, Promises Four More Years of Proven Leadership

Click the image to visit www.reelectyoungforbenicia.com.

From the Campaign to Re-Elect Mayor Steve Young, received July 10, 2024

Benicia, CA – Mayor Steve Young today announced his campaign for re-election with a pledge to continue the work he started in his first term. “This is a critical election,” Young said. “We are not just deciding on a city leader for the next four years; we are at a crucial juncture that will define the future of Benicia.”

Young, who was elected to his first term as mayor in 2020, has led the City through some of its toughest times. He led the City Council and City government staff in crafting a strong and responsible response to the global pandemic. He has worked to build a solid financial foundation for Benicia, overseeing the rezoning of land to encourage more housing while promoting the City’s vibrant downtown, art community and business park. He also championed the simplification of City processes to make it easier for residents and business to access City services, including by limiting the scope of the Housing Preservation Review Commission.

“I have made transparency and communication the core mission of my service to Benicia residents,” Mayor Young said. “I am the first Mayor to regularly monitor, engage and communicate with constituents on social media, and I consistently respond to direct and public questions.”

“But the job is not done,” Young continued. “More challenges remain as we continue to shape the vision of Benicia’s identity, aspiring to create a community that embodies resilience, prosperity and a balance between smart progress, historic preservation and continued sustainability.”

 

Young was raised in Burbank, California, where he graduated from Burbank High School in 1969. He earned a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 1973 and went on to earn his MA in Urban Policy and Administration from San Francisco State University in 1975.

He spent his entire career focusing on the challenges cities face. For 28 years, he worked with cities in California and Virginia, overseeing various projects in the fields of community development, re-development, affordable housing, neighborhood preservation and economic development. In 1999, he was named Community Development Director of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).

 After retiring from SHRA, Young and his wife Marty moved to Costa Rico for four years to allow their daughter to have the experience of attending high school internationally. Following her graduation, the family returned to the US and moved to Benicia in 2012 where he quickly put his career experience to use.

Click the image to be redirected to the 2022 LA Times column featuring Mayor Steve Young.

He was appointed to Benicia’s Planning Commission in 2013, just as the Crude by Rail proposal began working its way through the City approval process. With his expertise, he was able to guide the Commission through the complicated process that helped lead to the Planning Commission’s unanimous rejection of a project that could have put Benicia residents’ safety and health at risk. The Planning Commission decision was ultimately upheld by the City Council.

Young was elected to the Benicia City Council in November 2016 in his first attempt at elected office. He was elected Mayor in November of 2020.

 “I love our City, its beauty, strong culture of arts and history, its friendly small town sense of community,” he said. “But to continue to survive, we must grow, and to grow successfully while keeping what makes Benicia special is the challenge before us all. I am asking Benicians to re-elect me so I can continue the work that we’ve started in shaping Benicia’s future.”

To learn more about Mayor Young’s re-election campaign, donate, or volunteer, visit his website at www.reelectyoungforbenicia.com.